US2969875A - Automatic sorting devices - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 31, 1961 -r. s. MGLEOD m-AL AUTOMATIC SORTING DEVICES 'Filed Nov. 24, 1958 United States Patent AUTOMATIC SORTING DEVICES Thomas Symington McLeod, Redholme, Gomshall, Christopher Mark Deavin, London, and Geolfrey Cole, Woking, England, assignors to The Plessey Company Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Nov. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 776,146

Claims. (Cl. 20981) This invention relates to automatic sorting devices and has for an object to provide improved sorting devices for sheets e.g. of paper which are controlled by a code consisting of electrically conductive lines provided on the sheets of paper or the like and extending transversely to the direction of the movement of the sheets through the device. sortingdevice of thekind specified which is relatively unaffected by occasional breaks incthe conductive lines constituting the code. i

According to the invention the sorting device comprises a feed roller for the sheets to be sorted which is longitudinally divided into a number of alternate conductive and non-conductive zones, adjacent conductive zones forming terminals of an electric sensing circuit which is closed when the roller is in contact with a code line on the paper or the like, a plurality of pairs of terminals being arranged to contact each sheet simultaneously within the range of one of said lines, and the various pairs of terminals being connected in parallel to each other so that a code line will cause a flow of current, even if it contains defective portions, so long as it establishes connection between at least one pair of terminals, means responsive to the flow of current in the circuit being provided for effecting a sorting operation. Preferably alternate conductor zones are interconnected to form one group of terminals, the interlyin-g conductive zones being established to form the other group of terminals, and electrical connection may be made to each group of terminals through a slip ring or its equivalent.

The drawing accompanying the provisional specification schematically illustrates one embodiment of a sorting device according to the invention in which the code simply consists of a variable number of lines, the electrical pulses produced by a sheet bearing the code when passed in contact with the said roller being evaluated in a counting circuit to open an appropriate branch chute to which the sheet in question is to be delivered.

Referring now to the drawing, the device comprises an inclined base or guide 1 on which sheets 2 of paper or other insulating material are fed to a pair of rollers 3 and 4, which move them on to a further inclined guide plate 5, which is provided with three transverse slots 6, 7 and 8 leading to sorting chutes 9, 10 and 11. Each slot 6, 7, 8 is provided with a hinged cover 12 or 13 or 14, which when closed (as shown at 12) permits the sheets to pass over the chute while when open (as shown at 13, 14) it deflects the sheets so as to move into the chute in question. According to a feature of the invention the chute which is to be opened to receive the sheet 2 is determined by the number of transverse lines 15 which are printed on the sheet with conductive ink, for example on the back of a printed sheet. This code is scanned as the sheet passes between the rollers 3 and 4. While the roller 4 only serves for guidance and, if desired, to drive the sheets, the roller 3 is utilised for the control of the flaps 12, 13, 14. For this purpose it 2,969,875 Patented Jan. 31, 1961 Another object is to provide an improved axially spaced from each other, three mutually insulated conductive zones or rings 16, 17 and 18. Zone 17 is connected with a slip ring 19 embedded in the insulating body, while zones 16 and 18 are connected with the shaft 20 of the roller, which performs the function of a second slip ring. I

In order to operate the flaps 12, 13 and 14 according to the number of lines 15 on the sheet 2, each of the flaps is connected mechanically to the armature of a magnetic actuating device 21, 22 or 23. These devices are energised by current from a battery 24 through a circuit connected to the terminals 19, 20. The winding of the,

device 23, which operates the lowest flap 14 in the guide 5, is directly connected in this circuit, so that the mp 14 is opened as soon as the first of the lines 15 connects the zone 17 with either or both of zones 16 and 18 of roller 3. The windings of the second and third device 22 and .21 are connected in parallel with that of the winding 23 but addition-ally include a contact 25 and 27 respectively which is closed only when the pre ceding device '23 or 22 has'picked up its armature.

The magnet device 23 is additionally provided with an auxiliary contact 26 which serves to maintain energisation of the magnet device 23 once it has been ener gised, and which in addition disconnects, the magnet device 23 from the slip ring 19, since otherwise the magnet 22 would be energised via this auxiliary contact each time the device 23 has picked up its armature.

In the illustratedembodiment it is assumed that a sheet has just passed between the rollers whichis provided with two lines 15, and as a result magnet 22 has likewise picked up its armature, its energisation having begun upon the passage of the second line 15 of the said sheet. As a result flap 13 is open and contact 27 closed while an auxiliary contact 28, the function of which corresponds to that of contact 26 in device 23,, has been opera-ted to close a holding circuit for magnet 22 and disconnect magnet 22 from the slip ring 19. Device 21 has remained unenergised in these circumstances, so that flap 12 has remained closed and an auxiliary contact 29 of this device, which when closed establishes a holding circuit for magnet 21, has remained open. In these circumstances the preceding sheet, after passing through the rollers 3, 4 will have passed over the flap 12 and the chute 9 but will have been diverted by flap 13 to move through the slot 7 into the chute 10. A reset contact 30, operated by a finger 31 extending into the path of the sheets approaching the rollers 3, 4 is included in the lead establishing connection between the holding contacts and battery terminal. This finger 31 is struck by each sheet as it approaches the rollers 3, 4 to open contact 30 and thus release those of magnets 21, 22 and 23, which have been energised by the passage of the previous sheet, thereby clearing the device for the passage of the sheet in question and ensuring that it will be guided to the appropriate chute. The distance between the finger 31 and the rollers 3, 4 is suificient to allow the contact 30 to become closed again before the first line of the sheet reaches the rollers.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made in the embodiment described without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus the number of metal zones of the roller 3 arranged to make contact with each of the conductive lines of the sheets, may be increased, and the simple counting device illustrated may be replaced by other decoding devices the operation of which may, for example, also depend upon the spacing of two successive lines in addition to the mere number of lines. Furthermore the conductive marks need not necessarily be made with a conductive ink and need not be applied by printing; it has, for example, been found quite satisfactory to use marks made by hand with a soft pencil. Furthermore the invention is not limited to .the use of directly operated magnetic devices; on the contrary the decoding device may include electronic means such as amplifiers, and any suitable means may be employed for exploiting the currents conducted by the code lines for the control of these devices.

Furthermore the contactzones 16, 17, 18 may in some cases be replaced by stationary brushes, in which case the rollers 3 and 4 merely ensure the feeding of the sheets.

What we claim is:

1. In an automatic sorting device for sheets of insu-- lating material according to a code formed by conductive lines extending transversely to a predetermined direction on at least one surface of said sheet, the combination of feed rollers for feedingeach sheet in said direction, at least three feeler contacts arranged in a line for simultaneous contact with such surfacev of each sheet as the sheet is fed by the rol-lers,.along a line extending in such transverse direction, means connecting each alternate contact to a first terminal, means connecting,

all other of said contacts to a second terminal, an electric decoding device including a pulse input circuit and relay controlled means determining the destination of each sheet according to the number of successiveelectric pulses transmitted by said circuit, said circuit including said first and second terminals so as to transmit a pulse each time 'any one ofsaid contacts connected to the first terminal is connected by a conductive line portion on such sheet to any one of said contacts connected to the second terminal.

2.'A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said feed rollers is provided with two mutually insulated conductive peripheral zones alternately spaced along the roller and constituting said feeler contacts.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the decoding device includes a plurality of relays each having a holding contact and arranged in cascade connection so that successive pulses will cause successive relays to move from the inactive position. to the active position,

the combination further including a feeler responsive to thepreseneeiof a sheet, and a reset circuit for all re-- References Cited in the file of this patentv UNITED STATES PATENTS 13555149 Pick-are"; Se t. 29, 1925 1,567,325 Lasker Dec. 29, 1925 2,171,556 'Higginbottom Sept, 5, 1935 2,297,172! Johnson octxs, 1942 2,416,625 'Hooper Feb. 25, 1947 I FOREIGN PATENTS- 7o9;s4 1: 'Great Britain m zs; 1954-

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